DE 10 2004 055 933 A1 discloses a method for allocating abbreviated addresses in lighting installations, the lighting components of which are controlled by way of a DALI bus. DALI is the abbreviation for Digital Address of the Lighting Interface and signifies a standard protocol for component communication in a lighting installation. In building technology the conventional connection technology for lighting means is substantially replaced by electronic lighting systems, which contain a data bus and/or can be connected to a data bus. Such lighting systems contain at least one control device, to which a number of operating devices, in particular in the form of electronic ballasts, can be connected. These operating devices are in turn connected to the actual lighting means and serve to actuate them. In particular if the lighting system is designed for quite a large building, for example an office building, its start-up is associated with a certain outlay. Unique addressing and channel association have to be carried out for every operating device or each lighting means connected therein, being stored in the respective operating device and in the control system as start-up data. To ensure correct identification and association of the individual lighting means it may be necessary in this context for the start-up fitter to switch on each lighting means individually, locate its precise position within the building and register it in the control device. This procedure is time-consuming and also means that the lighting system cannot be operated in the process.
It is therefore proposed that a location facility should be provided for the location-dependent allocation of abbreviated addresses. This location facility is used to locate an active lighting component and register it with the control system for allocation of an abbreviated address. Location here takes place by way of a radio chip which transmits a radio signal during activation of the lamp, the chips being numbered so that the radio signal can be associated uniquely with a lamp. Such a system disadvantageously requires all the lamps to be provided with a coordinated chip system.
A comparable solution is also demonstrated in DE 10 2006 019 144 A1.
A method for starting up a lighting system is disclosed in DE 10 2004 037 653 A1. The lighting system comprises a control device with a number of operating devices connected to the control device. The control device is connected to a start-up device. An addressing and a channel of the control device are associated with each operating device. These address/channel associations are stored as start-up data in the control device. The start-up data is written back from the control device into the start-up device and stored in a database there, so that it can be protected against data loss and is available for a new start-up.
A light installation is disclosed in DE 103 23 690 A1. Lamps in the light installation are provided with codes that can be addressed from outside by means of signals by way of their respective ballasts. These codes are read out during installation of the light installation and fed to a control device. The control device has to associate the ballasts or lamps with their respective installation positions. One disadvantage of this embodiment is that individualized lamps have to be used to determine unique installation positions.
A method for starting up a system having lamps distributed over a number of rooms from a central command unit is described in WO 96/00459 A1. All the lamps already have a source address before installation and are installed without taking account of said source addresses. After installation the source addresses are called up one after the other and the associated consumers are asked to identify themselves. When the selected consumer is identified, a preset operating address is transmitted to it. This method is then repeated with other selected lamps, until all the lamps have an operating address. The lamps can then be called up at this operating address specifically in respect of the installation site and in groups.